2016 Terroir Petit Verdot

THE WINE
The 2016 Petit Verdot opens with blueberry, blackberry, black pepper, and nutmeg, with gamey undertones and subtle vanilla and cream. Flavors of dark chocolate covered cherries and creamy coffee follow, with silky tannins and great finesse. This inky Petit Verdot is juicy and focused, with firm but not overpowering tannins. Pair with dark chocolates, gourmet burgers, roasted butternut squash, or hearty stews.

VINTAGE AND VINEYARDS
2016 started with an earlier than usual budbreak and bloom, followed by a warm, but not excessively hot summer. The fall was uniformly warm and encouraged ripening with outstanding color and tannin in our red varities. The fruit for this Petit Verdot was harvested exclusively from Andrews and Rowell Vineyard in the renowned Horse Heaven Hills.

WINEMAKING NOTES
This is our second vintage of Petit Verdot. It has amazing color and depth along with some very unique and exciting fruit flavors. The grapes were harvested in the day to build heat from the sun for warm, effective macerations. The grapes were destemmed, crushed, and fermented in small bins. The wine rested for 15 months in a mixture of old and new French oak barrels before being bottled in August 2018. This year, the wine is soft with intense varietal character.